fianchetto

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/fɪənˈt͡ʃɛtəʊ//fɪənˈkɛtəʊ/

noun

The development of a bishop by moving it one square to a long diagonal; specifically, a set of opening moves where a bishop is developed to the second rank of the adjacent knight file.

OriginItalian fianchetto →
RareScrabble 18
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Meanings

nounfianchetto (plural fianchetti)

plural fianchetti

  1. board gamesThe development of a bishop by moving it one square to a long diagonal; specifically, a set of opening moves where a bishop is developed to the second rank of the adjacent knight file.

    I’m not a hero, I’m not even a chessboard knight. Trying to be a priest was something of a fianchetto wasn’t it? Clever move by a poor player.

    1994, Jeanette Winterson, Art & Lies, →ISBN
verbfianchetto (third-person singular simple present fianchettos or fianchettoes, present participle fianchettoing, simple past and past participle fianchettoed)

present singular third person fianchettos · present singular third person fianchettoes · participle present fianchettoing · participle past fianchettoed · past fianchettoed

  1. board gamesTo play a fianchetto.

Origin

  1. Italianfianchetto
  2. Englishfianchetto

From Italian fianchetto, diminutive of fianco (“flank”).

More words from Italian

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 侧翼
  • 侧翼 (cèyì)chess
Finnish sivustointi
  • sivustointichess
Italian fianchetto
  • fianchettochess
Polish fianchetto
  • fianchettochess
Spanish fianchetto
  • fianchettochess
Cite this entry
APA

fianchetto. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fianchetto

MLA

“fianchetto.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fianchetto. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fianchetto,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fianchetto.

Source: fianchetto on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.